Summer Fun for the United Way

As far as summers in Edmonton go, this has definitely been one of the best we’ve seen in many years. We had beautiful weather (including EVERY long weekend), our “Festival City” broke records across the board, and we had some great opportunities to get out there and support the United Way!

Why the United Way?

When we became a part of the Don Wheaton Group of Companies, we found ourselves part of a family owned business that has had ties to the Edmonton community for the past 50 years, and one of the time-honoured traditions that has remained a big part of the “Wheaton Way” of business has always been our involvement with the United Way. Don Wheaton Sr. was the Campaign Chair for the United Way in 1985, and stayed on as a Campaign Cabinet member from 1986 to 2004. He believed strongly in the importance of giving back to the community, and actively worked to ensure that this belief would be passed down to future generations. In an interview for WE Magazine, his son Donald Jr. provided this insight:

“I remember him saying that United Way was such an efficient way to help the most people, because they make sure the money and time goes to all the places it is needed,” says Don Jr. “He didn’t need to worry about figuring out where to give the money – they handled that part. That’s why he has supported it for so many years.”

Summer BBQ

In July, we had a BBQ in our Service lot with all of the proceeds donated to the United Way. It was a great start to the summer, and we couldn’t have asked for a better day!

Driving Change for the United Way

Alongside our Don Wheaton GM and Wheaton Honda stores, we put together a HUGE block party on Whyte Avenue! 11 of Edmonton’s most popular food trucks made their way down to the old “South Park on Whyte” lot, and we made sure our guests were entertained by local band Maple Tea on the back of a flatbed truck. Each of the trucks donated a percentage of all food and drink sales, and we also had a 50-50 draw to add to the donations!

We were also joined by Yelp Edmonton and the 102.3 Now Radio Trucksicle, who had some sweet giveaways and treats for everyone to enjoy!

We received a lot of great feedback from all attendees, and the burning question was “Same time next year?” – We can’t give away all of our secrets yet, but we’ll let you know when the next big party is!

We’d also like to give a huge thank you to our event sponsors, including Rawlco Radio, Strathcom Media, Jag Printing, Newcap Radio, Cash In Time and the Edmonton Sun for making this event possible, and helping us raise money to support the United Way!